20th Century Wiles
by luc1d-dream1ng
Summary: After returning from Volterra, Edward plans to court Bella properly in an effort to regain her trust.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Quick little scrabble fic.. This won't have many chapters; they will mostly be short and fluffy. Hope you guys enjoy. :)

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight= not mine.

* * *

 **Edward's POV**

I knew I had quite some groveling to do before Bella could trust that I wouldn't leave again, but I had underestimated just how painful coping with my mistakes would be.

I felt her fear when she held on to me too tightly in her sleep, and when her eyes lit up in a brief moment of panic when I had to go hunt or carry out an errand. I saw her agony in the times when she would have nightmares of me leaving her in the woods again, and in the spilled tears she left on my shirt upon realizing in relief that I was in bed with her. I recognized her growing dislike of her own humanness in the way she practically begged of me to change her every day since our return.

I knew it was all my fault.

I knew.

I planned on doing whatever I could to reassure her of my love for her... but some wounds cannot be simply repaired. I had known exactly how to hurt her: by exploiting her insecurities. After my dreadful mistakes, it was my duty to make her realize I had no plans to leave, and clear her head from any residual doubts about our relationship, or the depth of my feelings for her.

Today, I took a page out of my 20th century self, and I began concocting a plan.

A plan to win back my mate.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Part One of the Book Store Chronicles! Next update up soon. Thank you all for the reviews! I swear I answer them, but college is kicking my ass and I figure you guys would prefer an update over a reply.. for now! Enjoy :)

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight= not mine.

* * *

 **Edward's POV**

I walked out of the main office towards Bella's locker, her heartbeat guiding me exactly to where she was. As soon as I saw her, I let out a sigh, pleased at the sight of her, in black jeans, a white shirt and canvas shoes. She saw me coming and her face lit up in a marvelous grin.

"Bella, you're feeling ill today," I greeted, once I arrived to the front of her locker.

Her expressive brows furrowed, brown eyes confused as I gently grabbed on to her hand and began to play with her fingertips.

"No, I feel fine." She said, staring at me strangely.

I winked at her, dragged my hand to cup her face before leaning in to kiss her slowly. "I'm glad. Just don't tell Ms. Cope. I had her tell the nurse to excuse you from your classes since you're coming down with a fever."

Bella giggled, "What? Why would you lie to Ms. Cope. Our next class is just Biology; we hardly take long to finish our work."

"I know," I smiled. "However, I would love to take my beautiful girlfriend to my home and play the piano for her.. Since your 4 o'clock curfew hardly gives us any public time together. Play hooky for once, yes?" I pleaded, softening my eyes and shifting her warm body towards mine in a careful embrace.

My throat burned slightly at her proximity, but the relief in my veins was imminent.

I was grateful every second that she was alive and with me.

She bit her lip slightly, blushed and nodded. "Okay. I have a fever. Let's play hooky, Dr. Cullen.", she teased.

* * *

Fourty-five minutes later, when we were still in the car and en route to our destination, Bella realized the plan was not to go to my house.

"Where are you taking me?", She laughed, watching the trees whizz by us as I picked up the speed in barely contained excitement.

"You'll love it," I promised her, twining my fingers with hers and pulling her warm hand up to my mouth, placing a soft kiss on her wrist. Inhaling her wonderful fragrance deeply, I smiled when I heard her heartbeat quickening.

Soon enough, we arrived at our destination.

The quaintest, most _Bella-esque_ book store I could find in Washington: Heavenly Corner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Twilight = not mine.**

 **A/N:** A bit more fluffy here, folks. Sorry. I get extra sappy when I miss my boyfriend *shrugs*. Enjoy.

* * *

 **EPOV (Edward's POV)**

"Oh, Edward, a bookstore?" she murmured, voice thick with emotion as she stared aimlessly through the store.

I watched her coffee colored gaze run across several bookshelves in awe. When she finally turned around and met my gaze, her cheeks were flushed with excitement and she wore a gentle smile. She looked utterly radiant.

"I don't know how you do it, but you always do it," she murmured, coming in closer to my chest. Her hands reached out to tangle with mine, and the approaching heat of her skin to my cold one very nearly made me tremble in pleasure.

"What might that be?" I murmured. I raised a hand to run through a chestnut lock of hair, making the smell of freesia and strawberries permeate the surrounding air.

"Be so perfect all the time," she sighed.

I scoffed, unimpressed. "Hardly. You're just so very easy to please, my love. Go on, explore. Anything you want is yours."

Her gentle eyes flashed somewhat at my remark. "I'm capable of paying for myself, Edward. You don't have to do all that and then some, you know. I'm easy to please, as you say," she teased, stretching on her tiptoes to place a kiss against my lips.

Humming contentedly at the feel of her soft, malleable body against mine, I deepened our kiss slightly. I rested my forehead gently against hers when we pulled away.

"If you don't let me buy those books, Isabella, I'll just buy the whole bookstore."

I smirked when her eyebrow arched petulantly at that, and her luscious lips pursed.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"I could think of one thing. Marry me," I said, exhaling between us and opening my eyes wider. I was intentionally dazzling her, and I had no shame of it.

She took a few broken breaths, her pupils dilated. However, she quickly came to reason and furrowed her brows at me, seemingly annoyed.

I knew better, however. I knew she secretly liked it whenever I asked her - I could hear it in her heartbeat and see it in the pleased flush of her skin.

She arched upwards once more to kiss me delicately again, before whispering her soft refusal against my lips.

I fake groaned, clutching at my chest to act as if I felt a great pain.

"You keep rejecting me so coldly, and I'll start to believe it some day," I told her, in jest.

I realized my error almost instantly, before the look in her eyes darkened and her face turned slightly somber.

I did not have to work hard to know where her thoughts had gone.

"Bella," My heart ached at the sight of her poorly disguised pain at the too-fresh memories of my abandonment.

She was quick to reassure me and brush off my concern, and put on a brave front as she disguised her sudden sadness with a large smile. I sighed internally, desolate and utterly hateful of myself. Such an utter idiot. I would never come to understand the amount of misery I had put her through, and I knew I had a lot of work to do in order to restore our relationship and regain her trust in the same fashion.

"I can't erase the past, or my horrid mistakes, although I wish I could. Just know, Bella, that I will do everything within my power to convince you of my love for you, and how very badly I need you. I won't ever leave again. I couldn't; not even if you sent me away, which makes me horridly selfish, but I love you too much to function properly without you, and I won't ever try to do so again."

Her faced had cleared of its shadows once more, and her eyes were soft.

"Edward-"

"Please, love. Listen to me." I whispered, with vehemence.

"I'll spend the rest of my life proving my love to you, the rest of my days proposing to you - until you accept. I will do whatever it takes to make you mine, Bella, in every human union and vampiric sense. And I will make you mine, Bella. Forever." I told her, kissing her forehead afterwards and gently nudging her towards one of the aisles.

"Now, shopping?"

She shook her head gently, dragged me towards the end of the aisle and pressed the most beautiful kiss to my lips.

"I love you, Edward. Forever."

Feeling my heart swell, I rested my head against my sweet girl's shoulder and inhaled her sweet scent, grateful more now than ever for the glorious ache in my throat - it meant that she was alive. It meant that she was _here_. With _me_.

"Forever."


End file.
